Frank Isola is one of my top 5 NBA Beat writers, he always reports legit news!!!!
1) Larry Brown's buy out was $5 Million, paid by the Pistons,
2) Isola reports: Larry Brown will be offered a 5 Years deal for between $50 & 60 Million, to coach the NY Knicks.
3) So, what can Larry do for "Starbury??" "Starbury" played pretty well under Larry in the 2004 Olympics.

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Larry, Knicks alone at last

BY FRANK ISOLA
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Wednesday, July 20th, 2005

Isiah Thomas' courtship of Larry Brown began last night, almost immediately after the coach and the Detroit Pistons reached a buy-out agreement that will allow Brown to coach the Knicks or any other team next season.
The Knicks president is expected to meet with the Hall of Fame coach as soon as tomorrow and is prepared to offer Brown a five-year contract worth between $50 million and $60 million, which would make him the highest-paid coach in NBA history. The Knicks are optimistic that they could have a deal in place by next week.

The only hold-up is whether Brown, who has several health issues, wants to return to the sidelines immediately or sit out anywhere from five months to a full season.

"I don't see myself coaching again next year," Brown said last night. "But you never know."

Brown continues to keep his plans close to the vest, suggesting that he would like to see interim coach Herb Williams remain on the job. Williams would be the Knicks' choice if Brown declines the position.

Should Brown agree to join the Knicks, there is a strong possibility that the team, with Brown's blessing of course, would ask Williams to remain on the bench, possibly as an assistant head coach.

The Knicks, who have been without a head coach since the day after their 33-49 season, confirmed last night that Thomas and Brown will meet.

"Now that the Detroit situation is settled, obviously Isiah will be reaching out to Larry," said Garden spokesman Barry Watkins.

Brown, regarded as one of the top coaches in league history and certainly its most well-traveled one, has always been Thomas' first choice. However, the Knicks have declined to talk publicly about their interest in Brown while he was still under contract with Detroit. They also didn't want to offer Detroit compensation if they hired Brown.

Brown, who was born in Brooklyn and grew up in Long Beach, L.I., was scheduled to earn $21 million over the next three seasons, but according to sources, he received $5million to walk away and is free to take any job.

"I really haven't thought about coaching anywhere else," Brown said.

During the playoffs, Brown negotiated with the Cleveland Cavaliers about becoming their new president, which would seem to indicate that Brown did not feel he would be healthy enough to coach an entire season.

He missed 17 games last season after having hip surgery and later developing a bladder problem. Brown revealed that he told the Pistons last week that he was prepared to coach the team.

People close to Brown can't see him missing an entire season, which is something he has never done in his long and illustrious career. But Brown, who has coached eight pro and two college teams, admitted that there are several factors that will influence his decision. Brown's wife, Shelly, has encouraged him to take the year off and rest.

"Now I have a young family, so a lot of things are a little different," he said. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to look at any alternatives this year."

The Knicks' best chance to hire Brown is now because they are the only team without a head coach for next season. Plus, the financial package they're offering may be too lucrative for Brown to turn down.

If Brown, 64, isn't ready to coach by the start of training camp in October, the Knicks' chances of hiring him would diminish. One theory is that if Brown has second thoughts about joining the Knicks, he would wait until December or January to return and join a team that has a more attractive roster than the one Thomas is putting together in New York.

Stephon Marbury, the Knicks' best player, had a rocky relationship with Brown during last year's Olympics. Marbury, who complained about Brown's offense being too restrictive, is a favorite of Thomas, even though rumors surfaced over the past month that the Knicks were actively trying to trade their point guard. Thomas vehemently denied the talk.

It is no secret, however, that Brown would want a say in personnel decisions. That's one reason why he was interested in joining Cleveland. Brown and Thomas claim to have a close professional relationship, but the two also have strong opinions over how a team should be run and there is no guarantee that they could peacefully coexist. They already have a difference of opinion on Marbury.

There is no denying that Brown could make the Knicks better. In Detroit, he took a veteran team to two straight Finals, winning it all in 2004. But his two-year run is ending with an ugly divorce. The Pistons claim that Brown orchestrated his messy exit and Brown contends that the Pistons fired him.

"I've never had anyone say that I failed," Brown said of his Detroit experience. "Since day one all I've said was I wanted to coach Detroit. I told them last Thursday that I was prepared to coach. For anybody to say I don't want to coach Detroit ... that's not real accurate."

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How did we get here?

Larry Brown's long ordeal with the Pistons comes to an end with the buying out of his contract yesterday. Here's a look Brown's bumpy road in Detroit that just might lead him to the Garden:

Nov. 3, 2004: Sidelined for two weeks after hip surgery.
Nov. 19, 2004: On the bench for the Pistons' ugly brawl with the Pacers in Detroit.
Nov. 23, 2004: Misses game against Bobcats because doctor's didn't want him to travel following hip surgery.
Jan. 28, 2005: Says that coaching the Knicks is something that he has "dreamed about a number of times." Brown also says that he "absolutely" would have been interested in coaching the Knicks in the 2003 offseason, when Don Chaney was under contract.
Feb. 22, 2005: Sits out tilt against Knicks in Detroit because of the flu.
March 15, 2005: Misses another 10 games after surgery related to hip operation he had in November.
April 20, 2005: Pistons finish regular season at 54-28, second-best record in the Eastern Conference.
May 3, 2005: Pistons close out first-round series with Sixers with Game 5 win at home, 88-78.
May 19, 2005: Pistons polish off Pacers on the road with Game 6 win, 88-79, to take second-round series and rematch of brawl in Detroit.
May 25, 2005: Reports surface that Brown has talked to Cavaliers about becoming president. Brown responds: “This is my last coaching job. The only place I'm going to coach next season, or ever, is Detroit, I think, in terms of ever.”
June 6, 2005: Detroit defends Eastern Conference crown, dropping Heat, 88-82, in Game 7 of Conference finals in Miami.
June 23, 2005: Pistons fall to Spurs, 81-74, in San Antonio in Game 7 of Finals.
June 29, 2005: Brown checks into Mayo Clinic to address health problems related to hip surgery in November and follow-up surgery in March.
July 5, 2005: Brown and agent Joe Glass meet with Detroit owner William Davidson and president Joe Dumars to discuss Brown's status for first time since end of season.
July 15, 2005: After another meeting on July 13, Brown reiterates his desire to coach in Detroit: “I want to coach Detroit, and I expressed that to (Davidson and Dumars). Now Mr. D and Joe just have to talk to Mr. Glass and decide what they want to do. I want them to be comfortable. I don't want to retire, but I want to move forward.”
July 19, 2005: Brown and Pistons agree to settlement on final three years of coach's contract. The Pistons offered a payout to Brown and allowed him to pursue other jobs.